Looks Like a Bird Growing Grass, but It's Actually Grass Riding a Bird!

Dean Tang Qiu, Dean Ta Cang, and the others all felt somewhat regretful about Luo Li's choice.

But they still respected and supported it.

Even though rumors said that the Luo God Clan had declined and lost its former glory.

It still had top experts of the Earthly Sovereign Realm guarding it, as well as the inherited foundation of a former Heavenly Sovereign.

Moreover, Luo Li was exceptionally talented. At the very least, she would become an Earthly Sovereign in the future!

"Since that is the case, we will not say any more."

Dean Tang Qiu, Dean Ta Cang, and the others nodded and said:

"If you change your mind and wish to cultivate at one of the Five Great Academies for a few years, we will still welcome you."

"And now, the spiritual energy empowerment begins!"

A Starburst Spiritual Array shining with five-colored light appeared atop the nine-tiered platform.

The light poured down, enveloping Luo Li and the many other trial participants as dense spiritual energy rippled outward.

"Huh? I get a spiritual energy empowerment too?"

Zhao Chen was surprised.

He was not particularly concerned about whether Luo Li would join the Five Great Academies or return to the Luo God Clan.

He felt that it made little difference where she went.

So he had not said anything.

But what surprised him was this spiritual energy empowerment.

It was clearly something only those trial participants who had entered the Spirit Road were supposed to receive.

So how could a blade of grass like him enjoy it too?

Moreover, judging by the abundant, pure spiritual energy flooding wildly into his body, it was not inferior in the slightest to the King-level spiritual energy empowerment enjoyed by Wen Qingxuan, Mu Chen, and the others.

At most, it was only slightly inferior to Luo Li's, as the Spirit Crown.

"Heh, looks like I can enter the Three Heavens Realm too!"

For Zhao Chen, this was simply an unexpected delight.

After all, he was only at the Divine Soul Stage.

He had originally planned to reach the Three Heavens Realm as quickly as possible after leaving the Spirit Road and entering the Great Thousand World. Now, he had accomplished it ahead of schedule.

With greater strength, many things would become much more convenient.

After a long while, the spiritual energy empowerment ended.

Zhao Chen had indeed entered the Three Heavens Realm. He had surpassed his expected early Fusion Heavenly Realm and reached the middle stage of the Fusion Heavenly Realm!

The Sensory Stage was the stage of sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and tempering the body.

Starting from the Spirit Movement Stage, one could draw spiritual energy into the body, gather it in the dantian, and condense it into spiritual power.

Spiritual power was the foundation for activating spiritual arts and determined their might.

The grade of a spiritual art could amplify its effects.

At the Spirit Wheel Stage, one compressed spiritual power within the body to its limit, forming a Spirit Wheel and gaining a higher level of control over spiritual power.

Beyond that was the Divine Soul Stage, a watershed realm.

Besides the increase in spiritual power, the Divine Soul Stage granted the ability to refine spirit beast essences and obtain the special powers of spirit beasts.

At this stage, the strength of one's spirit beast essence largely determined one's own strength.

Therefore, many geniuses hoped to seek out the essences of Earth Ranking Heavenly Beasts from the Myriad Beast Record.

The higher-ranked the Earth Ranking Heavenly Beast essence, the more powerful it would make them.

Luo Li, Wen Qingxuan, and the others had reached the Three Heavens Realm through spiritual energy empowerment, seemingly missing their chance to refine spirit beast essences.

But that was not actually the case!

Failing to refine a spirit beast essence in the Divine Soul Stage only affected one's strength within that realm, making it somewhat more difficult to deal with opponents of the same level.

If one directly surpassed the Divine Soul Stage, one could still choose and refine a suitable top-tier spirit beast essence in the Three Heavens Realm, bringing even more terrifying changes to one's strength.

After all, refining a spirit beast essence was dangerous.

The stronger one was, the more powerful the spirit beast one could refine.

Even among the Earth Ranking Heavenly Beasts in the Myriad Beast Record, there were differences.

For example, the Golden Armored Dragon-Tiger Beast from before had juvenile and adult forms.

The top twenty Heavenly Beasts of the Myriad Beast Record's Earth Ranking were called Super Heavenly Beasts.

That was because they were in their juvenile forms.

Once they reached adulthood, they would become divine spirit beasts and could easily enter the Heavenly Ranking of the Myriad Beast Record.

Whoever could refine the essence of such a Super Heavenly Beast would undoubtedly stand at the top among those of the same level!

Of course.

Zhao Chen did not need to worry about any of that. He was a blade of grass.

A Nine-leaf Sword Grass.

Just as Luo Li had thought, it would not be wrong to regard him as a spirit beast in plant form.

However...

"Isn't there a stranded Nine Netherbird in the Northern Spiritual Realm?"

Zhao Chen rubbed his chin, revealing an amused smile.

When he had the time, he would go and take it for himself.

Well, didn't he have time now?

Luo Li needed to return to the Luo God Clan to refine the Super Heavenly Beast, the Luo River Spirit.

He could take this opportunity to head to the Northern Spiritual Realm on the Hundred Spirit Continent and bring that Nine Netherbird back.

Having reached the Fusion Heavenly Realm of the Three Heavens Realm, Zhao Chen could already merge with heaven and earth and control a certain amount of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

He had plenty of ways to reach the Northern Spiritual Realm.

[ Ding! Sign in once at Black Eerie Abyss in the Northern Spiritual Realm of the Hundred Spirit Continent to receive the sign-in reward—"True Phoenix Art"!]

"Heh, it seems I really need to make the trip soon."

Hearing the ethereal voice ring beside his ear, Zhao Chen could not help but nod.

He looked toward Luo Li. Once the spiritual energy empowerment ended, she would be sent back by the Primordial Divine Artifact, the Mirror of Judgment, to the Little Western Heaven Realm where the Luo God Clan was located.

If he did not tell her in advance, he would be taken along with her.

After all, the Nine-leaf Sword Grass was rooted in the Luo God Sword.

"You want to go out and explore?"

Before Zhao Chen could speak, Luo Li seemed to already know and asked first.

"Compared to the bustling Great Thousand World, the Spirit Road is far too lonely."

"And the Little Western Heaven Realm where my Luo God Clan resides is plagued by war too frequently. Even if I took you back with me, I would only enter seclusion somewhere to receive a certain inheritance. It would be difficult for you to go out and wander around."

"If you wish to venture out alone, I would not object."

When Zhao Chen heard this, he was deeply moved.

It was definitely more appropriate for her to say it than for him to bring it up.

She was so considerate that it was hard not to like her.

"I once received some information that there is a Nine Netherbird somewhere that failed its tribulation."

Zhao Chen smiled and said, "If my luck is good enough, nothing unexpected should happen."

A Nine Netherbird?

Luo Li was greatly surprised.

In the Spirit Beast World of the Great Thousand World, the Nine Netherbird Clan was a divine beast race.

Once an adult Nine Netherbird successfully passed its tribulation, it would evolve into either the divine beast Nine Nether Flame Sparrow or the Nine Nether Cold Sparrow.

Nine Netherbirds with exceptionally pure bloodlines and extraordinary talent even had a chance of becoming the divine beast Nine Netherworld Dark Bird!

The blood of the Primordial Undying Bird, a Super Divine Beast from ancient times, flowed within the bodies of the Nine Netherbird Clan.

The Primordial Undying Bird was a Super Divine Beast comparable to a Heavenly Sovereign.

It was an absolute supreme powerhouse throughout the Spirit Beast World and even the entire Great Thousand World.

Furthermore, the Primordial Undying Bird was a mutated Super Divine Beast.

Tracing its origins, it came from the Phoenix Clan.

Above divine beast races were Super Divine Beast races.

There were quite a few Super Divine Beasts such as True Feng and True Huang within the Phoenix Clan, and they held tremendous influence in the Spirit Beast World.

That Primordial Undying Bird was considerably stronger than ordinary True Feng and True Huang.

A Nine Netherbird that had failed its tribulation was extremely rare.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, an adult Nine Netherbird would become a divine beast.

That was precisely why the Nine Netherbird Tribe was a divine beast race.

"That Nine Netherbird is no ordinary one. Its bloodline is likely very pure."

After thinking for a moment, Luo Li continued, "If that Nine Netherbird is not dead, then once you tame it, you can go anywhere in the Great Thousand World."

Originally, she had thought that he would be able to assume human form upon reaching the Three Heavens Realm.

Yet Zhao Chen had already reached the middle stage of the Fusion Heavenly Realm and still showed no sign of doing so.

Though she felt some regret, Luo Li was especially delighted.

That was because the higher his potential, the more difficult it would be for him to assume human form.

With a Nine Netherbird, Zhao Chen, this Nine-leaf Sword Grass, could ride across the Great Thousand World!

Hmm, why did that image feel a little absurd?